Chapter 1365: Provocation

“Rest assured, fellow Daoist, we value our lives dearly and won’t act recklessly,” the white-browed young man chuckled.

“Then, have you all decided on a plan?” Long Dong inquired.

“We can conceal ourselves and ambush the lizard and the giant from both sides, making them think the other launched the attack. That should suffice,” the white-browed young man replied without hesitation, as if he had already considered this approach.

“That sounds simple, but we don’t know how powerful their spiritual senses are. If our concealment is detected, the one who strikes will immediately be in grave danger. It’s not very reliable!” The young woman pondered briefly before shaking her head.

“If it’s about concealment techniques, I happen to have two ‘Void Clarity Talismans.’ When fully activated, even mid-stage Void Refinement cultivators would struggle to see through them. I’m willing to contribute them,” the white-robed girl said with a faint smile.

“Void Clarity Talismans? Those are a type of Silver Python Spirit Talisman. They would indeed be effective against these two creatures. But for extra safety, we don’t need to act in person initially. I have two ‘Silver Flood Dragon Puppets,’ each comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator. We can attach the talismans to them and let them strike. That would be much safer,” Long Dong said, his expression brightening with delight.

“This method is excellent. Even if the puppets fail, we can split into two groups to lure and distract them. Then, one fast-moving fellow Daoist can remain hidden, waiting for the right moment to seize the spirit fruit. Once the fruit is obtained, we’ll immediately use escape techniques. Though these two creatures may rival Void Refinement cultivators, if we focus on fleeing, they likely won’t be able to stop us. However, the one who grabs the fruit must be extremely swift. Otherwise, the mutated lizard’s tongue strikes with terrifying speed—it’d be extremely dangerous,” Xiao Hong added after a moment of thought.

“Lady Xiao makes a valid point. But the one who retrieves the fruit faces immense danger, and we must also trust that they won’t flee with the treasure immediately. Otherwise, this plan won’t work,” the white-browed young man said coldly, his eyes flashing with a sharp glint.

“Indeed, it’s a tricky situation. Which of us is willing to take on this final task? After retrieving the treasure, we’d still need to regroup, of course. Naturally, this person must also provide a method to reassure the rest of us,” the white-robed girl said leisurely.

Hearing her words, the other four exchanged uneasy glances.

As the girl had said, whoever took the final step to pluck the Dragon Spirit Fruit would have to endure the furious retaliation of both monsters. The danger was immense, and none could trust another to walk away with such a rare treasure alone.

This dilemma seemed nearly impossible to resolve.

“If none of you object, I’m willing to be the one to make the final move,” Han Li suddenly said with a smile.

“Fellow Daoist Han, you’re only at mid-stage Deity Transformation. Don’t you think that’s too risky?” Long Dong frowned in objection.

“Indeed, Brother Han’s cultivation is somewhat lacking,” the white-browed young man added, shaking his head after sizing Han Li up.

“Though my cultivation may be insufficient, I possess a near-spirit treasure-grade teleportation artifact, and my techniques are somewhat unique. I’m confident in my ability to survive,” Han Li replied calmly, unfazed.

“Oh? If Brother Han is so confident, then entrusting you isn’t out of the question. But how can we trust that you won’t flee with the fruit once you obtain it?” Long Dong’s voice turned grave.

“Frankly, I don’t have a perfect solution. But if any of you feel I’m unsuitable, you’re welcome to volunteer for the task. I have no objections,” Han Li said with a half-smile, his tone ambiguous.

His words left the others momentarily stunned.

Though everyone coveted the treasure, none truly wished to risk their lives snatching it from under the noses of two Void Refinement-level beings. A single misstep could lead to severe injury—or even death.

“If Brother Han is willing to let me place a restriction on him, I have no objections,” the white-robed girl said bluntly.

“Agreed. I share the same sentiment,” Xiao Hong added after studying Han Li for a moment.

Long Dong and the white-browed young man exchanged glances but remained silent.

“Placing restrictions on me is fine—but only if I can do the same to all of you,” Han Li retorted coldly, his expression hardening momentarily before settling into a sneer.

“Hmph! If you fail and something happens, wouldn’t we all suffer alongside you?” the white-browed young man snorted.

“Precisely my concern as well,” Han Li shot back without hesitation.

Truthfully, even if they agreed, he had no intention of accepting such terms. His past experience with mutual restrictions—where his cultivation was crippled and his Nascent Soul nearly destroyed—still haunted him. He had no desire to repeat that nightmare.

Hearing Han Li’s stance, Long Dong and the others exchanged bitter smiles.

“Then how about this: if you leave behind collateral, we might trust you. For instance, you could temporarily surrender your lifebound treasure to us and allow a tracking mark to be placed on you. That way, we wouldn’t fear you fleeing with the treasure,” the white-robed girl suggested, her bright eyes glinting with cunning.

“A tracking mark on my lifebound treasure? That, I can accept. But we must all place marks on each other. That way, during the operation, I’ll also know your locations. Heh, if Brother Long’s Silver Flood Dragon Puppets prove effective, perhaps I won’t even need to take the risk,” Han Li mused before finally nodding in agreement.

Mutual tracking marks!

Long Dong and the others exchanged glances before slowly nodding.

This seemed the only viable solution. Of course, Han Li’s mid-stage Deity Transformation cultivation—the weakest among them—also made it unlikely he could escape with the treasure.

After further detailed discussions, they finalized the plan.

Han Li opened his mouth and spat out four golden streaks, which circled him briefly before transforming into four small golden swords. These floated into the hands of the other four.

Without hesitation, Long Dong and the others either cast secret techniques or affixed talismans to the swords, sealing them before storing them away in their storage bracelets.

Then, each of them flicked a finger, sending a colored light streak into Han Li’s body.

Han Li had already inspected these streaks with his spiritual sense, confirming they were pure spiritual energy without hidden restrictions, before allowing them to settle within him.

He then reciprocated, sending four azure light streaks into the bodies of Long Dong and the others.

With this, everyone relaxed slightly.

After exchanging a few more whispers, they dispersed, transforming into streaks of light shooting off in all directions.

Han Li’s azure streak traveled thousands of miles before he finally halted, reappearing mid-air.

After scanning his surroundings, he closed his eyes and slowly released his spiritual sense.

Detecting no anomalies or surveillance, he abruptly opened his eyes and formed a hand seal.

A thunderous roar erupted behind him as a pair of cyan-white wings materialized. Then, with a flip of his hand, a violet talisman appeared—the “Great Void Concealment Talisman.”

Stealing treasure under the noses of two Void Refinement beings was no trivial matter. He couldn’t afford carelessness.

Affixing the talisman to his body, he vanished in a burst of violet light and silver runes, becoming one with the wind.

In this ethereal state, he retraced his path.

Though his speed wasn’t as blistering as before, it was still far from slow. Moments later, he returned to the original location.

The colossal lizard and the thousand-eyed giant remained locked in their stalemate, motionless.

With the naked eye, he couldn’t spot the others.

Exhaling softly, he activated his spiritual sense, immediately detecting the tracking marks he’d placed.

The others had indeed returned, hovering invisibly in the sky—two above the lizard, two behind the giant.

Their concealment was extraordinary; without the marks, even Han Li’s spiritual sense couldn’t detect them. Strangely, he also saw no trace of Long Dong’s Silver Flood Dragon Puppets.

Whether the Void Clarity Talismans were truly this miraculous or the puppets hadn’t been released yet, he couldn’t tell.

His mind raced, but his eyes remained fixed below.

An eerie calm pervaded the area, like the lull before a storm.

A full meal’s time passed without incident.

Han Li’s face remained impassive, but inwardly, he grew impatient. The agreed-upon time was nearing.

Just then, the giant lizard shifted slightly, lifting one claw as if uncomfortable before setting it down again.

But the moment the claw touched the ground, a silver flash erupted from the soil beneath it, followed by a barrage of silver threads shooting toward the thousand-eyed giant.

It looked as though the lizard had launched a sneak attack with its own claw.

The giant, still holding its massive club, bellowed in rage. A dark shadow swept forward, unleashing a gale that obliterated the silver threads.

Yet almost simultaneously, something indistinct flickered beneath the giant’s hand, and a thick silver beam shot from the void, streaking toward the lizard’s head at blinding speed.

The lizard’s emerald eyes rolled back as its crimson horns flashed, releasing a scarlet beam in response.

A deafening explosion followed as the two beams collided and annihilated each other.

Then, the lizard reared its head and unleashed an earth-shaking roar, heaving its massive body upright.

Its maw gaped wide, revealing rows of jagged fangs.